The Marauders' Daughter
by Gali10
Summary: Rommie, child of Sirius Black & Mary Pettigrew, begins her first year in Hogwarts. However, being in the same class as the Girl Who Lived isn't going to be simple considering her parents' part in Lily Potter's death. Very AU in terms of history & characters.
1. Part of Their World

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Rommie Black said happily, hopping down from the treetop to greet the older witch.

"Happy birthday, Romola," the professor said warmly, amused at the girl's excitement. Of course, Minerva knew that it wasn't the child's birthday that made Romola so happy. Nor was it the professor's visit, although the young witch was always happy on those rare occasions when her grandmother had guests.

"You don't happen to have any mail for us, do you?" Rommie asked in fake innocence.

The professor shrugged rather than answer, although she couldn't completely resist a small smile at the girl's happiness.

"Not that it'll matter though," Rommie said in a much less happy tone a few moments later, as they came closer to her grandmother's cottage. "Grams will never actually let me go to Hogwarts."

Minerva couldn't help pity the poor lonely child, and told her encouragingly, "Leave it to me to convince Enid. Hogwarts doesn't easily give up on young witches and wizards who wish to learn."

Looking up happily at the professor, the child smiled brightly in gratitude. The resemblance to her parents was undeniable – Rommie had her mother's blue eyes and wide smile, and her small face was framed with her father's lustrous black hair. Minerva sighed in her heart, knowing that convincing Enid Pettigrew to let go of her granddaughter won't be as easy as she told the child. And could the deputy-headmistress truly blame her old friend, for believing that it's better for the young witch to be isolated rather than hated?

* * *

"Do you truly intend to deny your grandchild the education she deserves, Enid?" Minerva asked piercingly as she quietly argued with the other witch, while Romola waited in the other room and pretended not to listen.

"I can teach her myself," Enid Pettigrew insisted, trying to make her friend tell her she was right even though the decision of where Romola will learn magic was ultimately hers alone, "Or did you forget that I used to be an auror before… before Lily Potter."

"I remember very well, Enid," Minerva answered impatiently. After all, they did start working at the Ministry together after graduation. "But precisely for that reason, I would have expected a witch as talented and smart as you to know that there's a reason children go to magic schools. Homeschooling is all well and good for basic charms, but it's not enough if want Romola to ever achieve her full potential. You can't be all she has in the world, Enid. You won't be around forever, and this isolation isn't healthy for her."

"Fine," Enid admitted reluctantly, "Although I've only kept her away from the world to protect her, I can accept that maybe I need to let go. But why should she go to Hogwarts? She could do just as well in Ilvermorny or Beauxbatons, where people won't recognize her name everywhere she goes. She doesn't need to be judged and hated for her parents' sins, Minerva."

"You're right, Enid," Minerva said evenly, "She might be accepted to a school abroad, where people won't know her name immediately. So it will take them a week, maybe even a month, and then she will still be the daughter of Mary Pettigrew and Sirius Black. And people will still think she might know where her mother's hiding, and treat her like a criminal because of her parentage. You still won't be able to protect her from any of that, and she'll only be further away from you and your friends."

That last sentence, as harsh as her words might have been, Minerva spoke in a voice full of compassion. She remained silent after that, but her unspoken promise that Rommie won't be harmed in Hogwarts was well heard. Eventually, Enid nodded somberly.

* * *

"Ms. R. Black," Rommie read in an excited whisper as both older witches looked at her with warm smiles, "Enid Pettigrew's Cottage, Abernethy Forest, Strathspey. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class…). Dear Ms. Black, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July."

Rommie looked up at her grandmother and the deputy-headmistress, gratitude and joy written all over her face. The young witch has been sheltered away from the magical community for all of her life. For her own protection, she had to stay on the outside looking in, rarely meeting anyone but Enid and even more rarely actually getting to experience that world.

"Thank you both so much," she said, knowing that her life will soon change forever.


	2. Willow & Heartstring

Three months had passed and it was now mid-July, when eventually Enid and Rommie went to Diagon Ally to procure the items the young witch needed for Hogwarts. It was the first time in at least six years that Rommie visited the place, and since she couldn't really remember much it felt like the first time. Diagon Ally was truly an amazing place for the young child, not so much for its magic – although many of the magical things she saw were indeed fascinating, but much more so because of all the people. Rommie could see in whichever direction she looked more people than she's met in her entire life. There were so many people around her, so much life, and each person was entirely different than the next.

Her grandmother, however, was much less happy with the situation. Enid tried her best not to draw any attention, leading Romola briskly from shop to shop and not allowing the girl to delay in conversation with any of the shopkeepers.

The first time she actually managed to talk with anyone was at Madam Malkin's. While she was standing on a footstool and one of Madam Malkin's assistants pinned her robes to the right length, another was doing the same for a fellow young witch. The girl seemed to be Rommie's age, and had a mane of bushy brown hair.

At first they just stood there in quiet, and Rommie was afraid that if they started talking it won't take long for the other girl to dislike her after knowing her identity. However, a surprising downside of growing up in isolation was apparently her lack of experience in social awkwardness. Rommie never learned how to silently ignore another person, and started whistling a tune without even realizing it. And perhaps it would have been fine if it were just an ordinary tune, but her whistling was magical (one of only a few spells the young witch could perform) and sounded more like an orchestra was playing inside her mouth.

"Are you doing magic?" the other girl asked when the shop's assistants went to prepare their fitted robes, and only then Rommie realized that she was.

"Sorry," she said in a quiet voice, "I didn't mean to bothe-"

"I wasn't bothered," the girl said, speaking quickly and much more confidently than the black haired witch, "It was very nice, but I just meant that I cannot wait for the chance to try a few simple spells just for practice. And I'll learn all our books off by heart, of course. I just hope it will be enough. Nobody in my family's magic at all, you see, so it was such a surprise when I got my letter. But I was ever so pleased, of course. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

"Rommie B-," Rommie didn't really even think before starting to answer, but there was no use in being ashamed of her name. Especially since Hermione was muggle-born without much knowledge of the magic community, and so was hardly likely to recognize it. "Rommie Black."

"Pleasure to meet you, Rommie," Hermione said, and a part of Rommie felt guilty for omitting that her parents were murderers. "I assume you aren't muggle-born like me, since you already know some magic?"

"Yes, my family are all witches and wizards," Rommie said quietly, and silently added, _Although considering most of them are dead lunatic pure-blood supremacists that's probably more a curse than a blessing._

"So… do you know who Jaimie Potter is?" Hermione asked curiously, "Everywhere I went today people were talking excitedly about how it's their first year in Hogwarts, but I have no idea who that is." From the way the brown haired girl said that last part, it was clear that 'having no idea' about anything was something she was neither familiar with nor fond off.

Rommie gulped uncomfortably. Talking about Jaimie Potter was hardly something she wanted to do, but she didn't want to be rude to Hermione either.

"Yes, she's…" Rommie started unsurely, "She's about as famous as any kid our age can be. Basically vanquished the most dangerous wizard of our lifetime when she was just a baby. He tried to use the killing curse on her – something no one but her has ever survived before – but instead it backfired on him."

"He tried to use a killing curse on a baby?" Hermione repeated, quite shocked.

Rommie found that she was unable to speak, feeling guilty for the part her parents played in that night's events, but she nodded.

"Why?"

Ignoring the lump in her throat, Rommie said, "I don't think anybody really knows. Her parents were among those who opposed him, and I guess he was evil enough to consider that a good reason."

"So her parents are d-"

"Her mother, Lily, is," the black haired witch answered quickly, not wanting to hear the end of that word. "He killed her that night before trying to kill Jaimie. But her father is actually a very famous quidditch player."

"Quidditch is that sport played on broomsticks, right?" Hermione asked, and Rommie nodded in confirmation, falling silent again as the young witches finally received their robes.

"It was nice meeting you, Rommie," Hermione said with a friendly smile.

Smiling happily in response, the other girl said, "I'm really glad we met too, Hermione. See you on the Hogwarts Express."

* * *

"Ah yes," the old man with wide pale eyes said, his tone sounding almost as if he was talking to himself, "Romola Black. I expected I'd see you soon enough." Mr. Ollivander definitely had an unnerving presence, and Rommie didn't say anything as she looked at him in suspicion.

His gaze then turned to her grandmother, and he said, "Madam Pettigrew. Cherry with a unicorn tail's hair for the core, if memory serves me right? Nine inches. Most excellent for your former career as an auror." It seemed like Enid was an extension of her wand to him, rather than the other way around. Looking at her wand with a slight frown he added, "Sadly underused in recent years, I see. Quite unfortunate."

Her grandmother didn't say anything, but her irritated gaze said quite clearly that she didn't appreciate the criticism.

"Well, Miss Black," he said after a short moment, "Let me see…" As the wandmaker's tape measured Rommie, Mr. Ollivander browsed through his shelves while explaining to her about some of the science behind his wands. Then he had her try waving the wands he brought over, but none had a satisfying result.

"Hmm, I wonder if maybe…" he said after a while, "Yes, it could fit quite well, I believe." Handing her a simple dark-brown wand he said, "She who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow."

Immediately red sparks flew from the tip of the wand, and the wandmaker smiled and said, "How very curious, Miss Black."

"I'm sorry?" she asked, wondering what he might mean. Her grandmother, however, seemed very eager to leave but didn't intervene for now.

"Dragon heartstring and willow, Miss Black," Ollivander explained, "Is not a combination I make very often. The willow is perfect for healing spells and most particular about its wielder, preferring wizards of great potential and humble character. Dragon's heartstring wands, however, are characterized by power – strong, quick to learn, easy to turn to the dark arts. Not many wands have core and wood so prone to clash or, perhaps, balance one another."

"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," Enid said impatiently, "It's all quite interesting but we really should just pay and take our leave now."

"Oh, but I was just getting to the most curious part, Madam Pettigrew," he insisted, "You see, this wand is one I made twenty years ago. At the same time I crafted two others – just one more with a heartstring from the same dragon, and just one more with wood from the same willow branch. Both of which I sold almost immediately, but young Romola's wand has refused dozens of customers. What's curious is that the wand with the same core is one I sold to her mother, while the wand from the same wood I sold to the mother of The Girl Who Lived – Lily Evans. You must admit one can't help but wonder, Enid, whether she will take the dark path of your daughter Mary, or that of the woman she betrayed to He Who Must Not Be Named."


	3. The Hogwarts Express

**I just wanted to say thanks for the favs & reviews. This being my first story here, it really means a lot.**

 **Also, thank you so much for the review, Phoenix Arisen Again.**

 **Yes, Mary Pettigrew is a female counterpart of Peter. Also, to clarify ahead – for story reasons in addition to Peter and Harry I also gender-flipped Neville (Nieve), Lavender (Nardus) & Parvati (Pratyush). However these three will be otherwise pretty much the same as their originals.**

 **As for Sirius, all I can say for now is that he's in Azkaban for the same crimes only in this story he confessed to them, and that Mary is considered his accomplice and on the run.**

* * *

After saying goodbye to her grandmother, Rommie started to make her way down the train platform looking for a carriage that wasn't already full. The truth was that she hoped to find an empty carriage, but that was probably asking for too much. 'Not full' would have to do.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters was definitely the noisiest place she's ever been to. The sounds of chatter and moving trolleys, meowing cats and hooting owls all filled the air. And then of course there was the mighty sound of the scarlet steam engine. _I'm definitely not in the forest anymore…_

She saw a tall man with light brown hair and mustache chatting with a much shorter plump woman with fiery red hair. Five red-headed children in different ages stood beside them, and many people around looked at one of them in particular.

Her long braided hair was a darker shade of red than the others, and she was paler and thinner. Her eyes were green, and unlike the others there were no freckles on her face. However, one unmistakable feature about her was the lightning scar in her forehead.

 _So this is what Jaimie Potter looks like…_ Weirdly enough, though, there was no sign of quidditch legend James Potter anywhere around.

None of the six redheads (or Jaimie's curious admirers for that matter) seemed to notice Rommie, but the tall man looked at her for a second like she reminded him of something before shaking his head in confusion and looking away.

Shrugging, Rommie continued on. She passed by a round-faced girl who said, "Gran, I lost my toad again."

"Oh, Nieve…" sighed an elderly lady in response.

Keeping an eye out just in case she might see a toad on the loose, Rommie walked for a while longer before she found an empty carriage near the end of the train. Or at least she thought it was empty, when in fact Hermione Granger was sitting there alone and reading a book.

Feeling guilty for interrupting the other girl's reading, Rommie quietly said, "Umm, hello Hermione. Is it okay if I sit with you?"

The bushy-haired witch lifted her eyes from the book and smiled at her, much to her relief, and said, "Of course, Rommie. It's good to see you again."

"Thanks," she said gratefully, "It's good to see you too."

They sat silently for a while and soon the train left the station. After a minute or so Rommie got tired of looking out the window, and noticed the book Hermione was reading.

 _Modern Magical History_.

Rommie gulped. "So… that book you're reading," she started to ask.

"I've already read it once," Hermione said, still reading, "As well as _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

The young witches now looked at each other again.

"So you know what my parents did," she whispered quietly.

"It's not your fault, if you're worried that's what I'm thinking," Hermione said, the confident kindness of her tone contrasting Rommie's meekness, "But I don't like not knowing things, and you took advantage of my unfamiliarity with your name."

"You're right," Rommie admitted, "I did and I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to someone who didn't know my parents were death eaters. It was the first time in my life that I had that opportunity."

"I get why you did it," Hermione reassured her, "I'm really not angry." Changing the subject, she asked after a few seconds, "So, your full name is Romola Andromeda Black, right? Is Rommie short for your first or middle name?"

Rommie laughed, enjoying without realizing it the first moment of having a friend in her life. "Why not both?" she answered.

* * *

Rommie and Hermione were still sitting together in the train carriage, both of them reading in comfortable silence, when there was a knock the carriage door and the chubby girl from the platform entered. Looking at the girl, they could both easily see that she was on the verge of tears.

"Excuse me," she said in a shy sad voice, "but have you maybe seen a toad?"

They shook their heads, making the girl seem even sadder than before, but then Hermione suggested, "Maybe we can help you look for it."

"Really?" the girl asked, seeming to cheer up immediately, "I wouldn't want to trouble you, and Trevor does keep getting away from me."

"Of course, it's really no trouble," Rommie assured her, "You're Nieve, right? I'm Rommie, and that's Hermione."

The three girls searched along the train for Trevor the toad, stopping to ask everyone if they saw him and chatting while they looked. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in?" Hermione asked at one point, "I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best. I hear Dumbledore himself was in it. But I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…"

"My parents were both in Gryffindor," Nieve said, sounding glum, "But honestly I'll be happy to just end up in Hufflepuff. I don't think I'm very brave or smart, but maybe I can do well in Hufflepuff…"

"You don't sound so excited about that, Nieve," Rommie said, "But I really wouldn't take that houses thing too seriously, as long as you end up in the same house with people you like. It doesn't really say much about who you are as a person." The fact that her parents were both Gryffindor but still ended up working for Voldemort was what Rommie was thinking about, but she didn't really feel like bringing them up.

Just a few seconds later, however, Hermione opened the door of a carriage where it turned out Jaimie potter was sitting with one of the redhead boys who were with her on the platform. Thankfully neither of them seemed to recognize Rommie, so she just stayed quietly to the side and let Hermione do the talking. "Has anyone seen a toad? Nieve's lost one," she said.

"We've already told her we haven't seen it," the boy answered impatiently. Ignoring his rude answer, Hermione looked at Jaimie Potter's scar curiously.

"I promise I'm not hiding a toad in my forehead," the Girl Who Lived joked, making Hermione blush slightly as she closed the door and the three girls left. They passed a weird-looking trio of boys that seemed like some sort of an aristocrat with his bodyguards a while later, but eventually found Trevor and returned to their carriage. Figuring the train might arrive at Hogwarts soon, the girls then changed into their robes.


	4. Welcome to Hogwarts

When the train came to a stop, the three young witches made their way out and onto the dark platform. Soon a giant of a man with shaggy hair and beard came holding a lamp, towering high above them as he called for first year students to follow him. Rommie didn't really know Rubeus Hagrid very well, but even from just meeting him a few times as a child he was extremely easy to recognize.

As they followed Hagrid down a steep and narrow path, Rommie quietly told Hermione and Nieve what she knew about him. At first she wasn't really sure if they'd be interested to hear it, but both of the other girls seemed curious.

"Watch it, Longbottom," the snobby blonde boy they saw on the train earlier said, as he pushed past them angrily with his beefy friends. They knocked Nieve off balance on their way, and she would have fallen if the other girls didn't catch her.

Before they even walked another step in whatever direction Hagrid was leading them, however, Jaimie Potter and the ginger boy rushed over to them (although they didn't shove anyone, they moved much quicker than the blonde boy).

"Are you alright?" Jaimie asked Nieve, who nodded in reply.

"I'm going to show that git Malfoy who's better watch it," Jaimie's friend said angrily, but thankfully Hermione blocked his path.

"You're going to pick a fight with him?" she asked in a scolding voice, "Right in front of a staff member, no less? Are you trying to get in trouble before we're even there?"

Getting a better look at them, Rommie noticed both of their faces were a little bruised. This made her suspect that the two may have already gotten in a fight with Malfoy on the train, but she didn't say anything. In fact, Rommie had every intention to draw as little attention to herself as possible, especially from Jaimie Potter.

"Let's just go, Ron," Jaimie said reassuringly, and the other four students all followed her as she resumed following Hagrid, "As long as everyone's fine, that's all that matters."

"All I'm saying's that this Malfoy's going to be trouble," Ron said more quietly while walking next to Jaimie, but Rommie could still hear him, "No offence, but his family's almost as bad as those Blacks."

Just then the narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Hagrid told them to climb aboard the fleet of small boats, no more than four in each, and Rommie took the opportunity to slip away from their small group. She felt bad for disappearing on Hermione and Nieve, but she just had to put as much distance as possible between herself and Jaimie. Or Ron, for that matter.

Finding a boat with just three other students in it – two boys who were chatting ceaselessly and a quiet girl, who it seemed was the twin sister of one of them – Rommie asked if they'd mind if she joined them. She barely got a response from the boys, but the girl smiled at her and nodded.

As the boats began to glide across the lake even the girl's brother and his friend stopped talking, and all of the first year students looked at the castle in silent awe.

* * *

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall after heralding them to a small empty chamber, "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the great hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are here your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards…"

While Professor McGonagall continued her explanation, Rommie couldn't help but think about her Gryffindor parents and her other Slytherin relatives. Those were definitely not outstanding witches and wizards, and she had no wish to follow in their footsteps. Perhaps it would be best to be a Ravenclaw like her grandmother, she thought, or a Hufflepuff. _Not that it'll matter,_ she thought sadly, _some people will just assume I'm bad anyway._

The other students seemed just as worried about the Sorting ceremony as she was. But while most others were soon distracted by the appearance of the castle's ghosts, Rommie's worry only increased with every passing moment.

She soon forgot her concerns about the house she'll be in, however, and became worried of something entirely different – she wasn't sure exactly what was involved in the Sorting ceremony, but it was pretty safe to assume that in a few minutes the whole school will know her name.

Thinking about that made her instinctively look at Jaimie with guilt just as Professor McGonagall returned. Minerva saw that look, and as she led the students to the great hall the professor gave Rommie's shoulder a brief encouraging squeeze.

As the first-years entered the hall in a line, Rommie and her classmates looked around in awe. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led them to stand in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Rommie wasn't used to so many people at all, and especially not to so many eyes looking at her. Feeling very vulnerable, her gaze shifted uncomfortably towards the ceiling.

Standing beside her, Hermione said, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I-"

"Read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_?" Rommie finished her sentence, and the girls shared a smile as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years.

On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. A hat that was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. The whole hall was staring at the hat. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

 _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _If you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.


	5. Those Who Fear Plenty

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. After a moment's pause the Sorting Hat shouted, " **Hufflepuff!** "

The students on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

"Black, Romola!"

The great hall was already quiet with everyone paying attention to the Sorting ceremony, but Rommie was certain she wasn't imagining the deafening silence that fell as her name was called. She definitely wasn't imagining the surprise on Nieve's face when she heard her full name, or the hostility in Ron's eyes.

Too afraid to even glance at Jaimie's direction, she practically ran the rest of the way to the hat and let it hide her face from everyone's gazes.

"Oh, please, child! Don't be ridiculous," Rommie was startled by a sudden voice as the hat spoke to her, "Were you seriously afraid I'd put you in Slytherin? There's not an ounce of ambition or cunning in you. A Gryffindor, however…"

 _I don't want to be like my parents._

"I thought you believed I was wrong to put them in Gryffindor? Well, I'm never wrong, but if I were than sorting you to Gryffindor would mean you're nothing like them. Oh, I guess you could do perfectly well in Hufflepuff, and you're certainly studious enough for Ravenclaw. I could put you there, if you were certain this is where you want to go…"

 _I am. Please._

"No," the hat answered after a second's thought, "Wanting one thing and being afraid of another aren't the same. So many fears in this young little head – being like your parents, losing your fragile new friendships, facing Jaimie Potter…"

Just hearing that name made Rommie shrink a little, and the hat laughed softly and said, "Those who fear plenty have plenty to be brave about. Sooner or later you must overcome your fears like a true **Gryffindor!** "

Rommie's heart sank as she took off the Sorting Hat and rose from the bench. Stumbling to the Gryffindor table on the far left, she noticed with surprise that many of the students were clapping. They weren't as enthusiastic as the Hufflepuff were for Hannah, and almost as many students just sat there looking surprised, but it was still a weird feeling to be greeted.

As she sat at the closest open spot she could find, Rommie instinctively looked back to Professor McGonagall. The older witch gave her an encouraging soft smile and a small nod, and for a second the girl thought it might not be so bad.

Then, without thinking, her gaze drifted to Jaimie Potter, meeting her green eyes. The Girl Who Lived just looked at her. She didn't look angry or sad or really anything. _Maybe she's trying to see some sign whether I'm bad like my parents?_ Either way, Rommie was too unnerved by that gaze and had to look away, her attention returning to Professor McGonagall as she called the next name.

"Bones, Susan!"

As a girl with plaited auburn hair put on the hat, it shouted " **Hufflepuff!** " again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah Abbott.

"Boot, Terry!"

" **Ravenclaw!** "

The table second from the left clapped this time. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Nardus" became the second new Gryffindor. Her house's table exploded with cheers, erasing whatever doubts Rommie had that her greeting was much milder.

While a few more students were being sorted, Rommie looked curiously at the teacher's table. Aside from Hagrid and Albus Dumbledore, whose face was familiar even for a witch who grew up in a secluded forest, she didn't know who any of the others were.

One of them, she realized, was looking at her too. He was a thin man with sallow skin and a hooked nose, with greasy black hair and dressed in black robes. His face was calm, but as their eyes met Rommie averted her gaze in fear. She knew that some people might be quick to judge and dislike her, even teachers, but she didn't expect to be actually hated. Yet, even though it was the girl's first encounter with hatred, she was sure that this dark professor hated her.

Fortunately her shock was interrupted when Professor McGonagall called, "Granger, Hermione!" The young witch almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. For a second Rommie was worried the hat will probably sort Hermione to Ravenclaw, but it didn't take more than a couple of seconds before it shouted " **Gryffindor!** " to her great relief.

She clapped loudly with the rest of the cheering Gryffindor crowd, glad for Hermione but also happy that she won't be alone. The young witches smiled at each other, as Hermione came to sit next to her new friend.

For a while Rommie just basked in that relief, but her attention returned to the Sorting when "Longbottom, Nieve" was called to the hat. She tripped and fell over on her way to the stool, but Rommie and Hermione both sighed with relief a second later to see she wasn't hurt. The hat took a long time to decide with Nieve, and it wasn't difficult for Rommie to imagine why. Nieve said she wanted to be in Hufflepuff, but if her own experience with the hat was any indication…

" **Gryffindor!** " the hat finally shouted, confirming her thoughts. Unfortunately, Nieve ran off still wearing the hat, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to next student. Ignoring the laughter, Rommie and Hermione cheered happily and signaled her to come and sit with them. Nieve only hesitated for less than a second before she smiled back and joined them.

Sitting with her two new housemates, Rommie could forget about scary teachers and her grim family history for a while. She still wasn't sure about how much of a "true Gryffindor" she was, whatever that even meant, but at least she wasn't alone. There were people she liked with her. Friends.

"So how do you know Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked curiously.

"She's a friend of my grandmother," Rommie answered, "But don't think I'll get any special treatment for it. Grams always said Professor McGonagall is the fairest person she's ever known. Well, she used her first name, but I'm not going to dare doing that."

The girls laughed softly, but after a while the Sorting of people whose last name started with "P" began and everyone in the hall was watching with great interest.

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

A tall girl approached the stool, and barely even put the hat on her head before it shouted, " **Slytherin!** "

"Patil, Padma!"

The quiet girl that Rommie sat next to on the boat put on the hat, and after a quick second was sorted to Ravenclaw. Her brother, "Patil, Pratyush," was sorted into Gryffindor and sat next to Nardus Brown. Then "Perks, Sally-Anne" was sorted to Hufflepuff, and finally Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, Jaimie."

Most other students that put on the hat looked scared or nervous, or smiled with fake confidence, but the Girl Who Lived just walked calmly as if it was an everyday thing for her. She sat and put the Sorting Hat on, her eyes meeting Rommie's for a brief second before her face was gone again.

One minute passed and then another, as everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath. Rommie was definitely holding her breath, dreading the most likely outcome. Jaimie Potter was the wizarding world's greatest hero after Albus Dumbledore. Where else would the hat put her than in Gryffindor?

Finally, the hat opened its 'mouth' and shouted, " **Gryffindor!** "

Around Rommie, the Gryffindor table erupted in cheering so loud that even the floating candles trembled in the air. Not only the Gryffindor students were clapping, but also many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well as some of the ghosts and teachers.

Rommie tried not to look too miserable, encouraged by Hermione squeezing her hand, as she watched Jaimie put the hat back on the stool and walk to the table. Once again, there was no visible emotion on her pale thin face. Not the faintest smile or the slightest frown as she shook hands and returned hugs, eventually sitting with twin boys Rommie could only assume were Ron's older brothers.

Rommie was still looking at the Girl Who Lived even as Professor McGonagall called the next name, and Hermione had to nudge her. "You shouldn't stare at her," she said quietly. Rommie nodded, her attention returning to the Sorting, smiling at the other girl in silent thanks.

After the rest of the students were sorted, including Ronald Weasley who joined his brothers and Jaimie at the Gryffindor table, Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.


	6. Hera

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome," he said, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Rommie could see that Hermione was already trying to analyze what the headmaster meant by these words, and was about to offer her input when she was distracted by the dishes in front of them, which were now piled with food.

Hermione was still looking at the headmaster, deep in thought, so Rommie felt it's her duty to distract the other girl with, "Potatoes, Hermione?"

"Wha-"

Rommie and Nieve both laughed seeing the surprise on witch's face, and a second later she joined their laughter. They all began to eat, chatting as they did.

"What's it like to just suddenly be told one day that magic is real? That you're magic?" Rommie asked Hermione while snacking on bacon.

"Well, truth be told, it certainly explained a lot of things," and Rommie giggled, knowing the sort of weird accidents magic manifested through early in life, "And of course I was shocked at first, but then I started to get curious and excited – there's just so much to learn about magic, so much good we can do with it… I can't imagine anyone learning about it all and not feeling that happiness."

Rommie could. There were times she wished to find out that it was all in her imagination. That there was no He Who Must Not Be Named, no war, and no people who died and Girl Who Lived. That her parents were just gone for some reason that isn't being a prisoner and a fugitive couple of evil death eaters. That her grandmother lived in the forest because she wanted to, and not to protect Rommie from shame and prejudice.

Right now wasn't one of these times. Right now she was happy with her friends. But she could remember that feeling, and a part of her wondered how Hermione could join the wizarding world when she knew about its violent history.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor one could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O…

Rommie took an éclair and ate it absentmindedly as she listened to Nieve, who told them about growing up at her gran's. When she first heard that the other girl was also raised by her grandmother, she looked around for a second and wondered how many of the students in the great hall grew up in families torn by the war. _Maybe that's the real reason some people resent the muggle-born? Because they're jealous of not having to carry all this baggage of things that magic took from them?_

"The family thought I was all-muggle for ages," Nieve told them, "My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned. But nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Rommie and Hermione both just stared at her in horrified shock for a moment, unable to speak. These were certainly no evil death eaters, but Rommie was pretty sure this sort of thing was serious child abuse. She heard about the bad way 'squibs' were treated, but she never thought people put kids in harm's way like that just to force out their magic.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, probably thinking similarly, but Nieve quickly changed the subject before she could. "So which classes are you most excited about? I really look forward to learning herbology, personally."

Rommie could get why Nieve preferred to talk about something else, so she played along with it, "I've always thought transfiguration is a fascinating kind of magic, even before I knew that Professor McGonagall taught it."

That seemed to distract Hermione from thinking about Nieve's family, and she said, "I was just about to say that I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration. Turning something into something else, it's truly fascinating – like you said. I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn. And of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"

"Don't worry," a witch wearing a prefect badge who overheard them said, smiling reassuringly, "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing."

Suddenly she heard a cry of pain from where Jaimie Potter and the Weasleys were sitting. If it weren't for the way Ron and his prefect brother looked at her with worry, no one could guess the Girl Who Lived was in pain a moment ago. With narrowed eyes she looked at teachers table, as if trying to figure something out by watching the dark professor talk with a pale professor in a turban. She asked the prefect Weasley something, but didn't take her eyes off the dark professor for a long time. Rommie tried not to be obvious about it, but occasionally glanced at both, although nothing further seemed to happen.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. "Ahem- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" The other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, rising high above the tables and twisting itself into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

Rommie just said the lyrics without actually singing, but many others were singing to dozens of different tunes. Of course, she noticed, Jaimie Potter never opened her mouth and barely even looked at the words.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes, "a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy Weasley through the chattering crowds, out of the great hall. Walking through hidden corridors and up more stairs than Rommie could count, she was suppressing a yawn just as they came to a sudden halt. A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them the sticks started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the new students, "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself!"

A loud rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air and clutching the walking sticks. "Ooh!" he said, with a mean cackle, "Ickle firsties! What fun!" He swooped suddenly and they all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this. I mean it!" barked Percy. Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks over Nieve's head. Luckily Rommie was able to deflect them with her wand on time, so all they hit was the wall. As the other witch thanked her, they could still hear Peeves zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed. "You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again, "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him. He won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Rommie gave Nieve a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. A cozy round room full of squashy armchairs.

The girls were directed through a door on the right to reach their dormitories. The stairs spiraled upwards and it was clear that they were in a tower. "First Years" was written on the door at the top of the stairs, and Jaimie Potter opened it, the other girls following her in.

Inside they found five four-poster beds with deep red velvet hangings. Their trunks were already there, a beautiful white falcon standing in waiting on top of Jaimie's belongings.

"Wow," softly said Fay Dunbar, the fifth girl in their dormitories, as she looked at the falcon, "It looks so majestic."

"Thanks," Jaimie answered, smiling politely and gently patting the bird's head, "Her name's Hera." She pointed at the thin silver band around Hera's throat, where her name was written.

Hera looked from Jaimie to the other girls, and suddenly sounded a loud cry when she saw Rommie. The falcon crossed the room to the black haired girl, who raised her arms defensively, but simply sat on her right forearm.

"Huh," Jaimie said, sounding surprised although her voice was calm, "I guess she likes you."

"Sorry," Rommie apologized instinctively.

Jaimie didn't respond. She opened the window to allow Hera out and then went to sleep without another word. A moment later the other girls did the same, wishing each other goodnight.


	7. The Potions Master

**Thank you so much, Sakura Lisel! Rommie's full name is Romola Andromeda Black but I accidentally used her middle name in the Sorting ceremony. It's corrected now.**

* * *

Next morning, by the time the other four girls woke up, Jaimie Potter was already gone. At first they thought she was still somewhere in the Gryffindor tower, but when they went downstairs to the common room she's just returned – dew in her red hair and wet grass on the soles of her shoes.

Soon most people in the common room were looking at Jaimie, but she seemed to either not notice or not mind. "Good morning, Jaimie," Fay said shyly.

"Good morning," the redhead answered in a friendly tone, but quickly walked away and up to the boys dormitories before anyone else could talk to her.

Things were pretty much the same during breakfast and on the way to class. Jaimie ignored Rommie, and apparently by extension Nieve and Hermione too, and soon the other six first-year Gryffindors were all following her lead.

For Rommie, being ignored was much better than some other ways she feared Jaimie might treat her, but she did feel guilty her two friends were in the same situation because of her. Both of them assured her, however, that it was their own choice.

As far as the actual classes were concerned, Rommie was pretty surprised to discover she liked herbology. She thought learning about magical plants would be the last thing she'll be interested in, having just left her grandmother's cottage in the forest. But between the truly fascinating lessons and Nieve's infectious passion for the subject, Rommie quickly grew to like it as well.

History of magic was a different matter altogether. Unlike most of her fellow Gryffindors (except for Hermione, of course), she had no difficulty following the monotonous notes-reading of Professor Binns and staying focused. Her issue was more of the version of history they were taught – apparently it was more important they knew every insignificant detail about the duel between Emeric the Evil and Egbert the Egregious, for example, than learn about the atrocities committed by both of those wizards.

When the class ended, she overheard Ron Weasley ask Jaimie, "How did you already have notes of everything Binns said before he started talking?"

"That's my Uncle Remus's notebook," the witch answered, "Fortunately Binns repeats himself word for word every time he teaches a lesson for decades now."

Rommie resisted the urge to giggle, preferring not to draw their attention to her.

Charms class was much better, not just because they were actually getting to learn spells, but also thanks to Professor Flitwick's kind teaching style. Another good thing about it was that they learned that class with the Ravenclaws, and Rommie and her friends were pleasantly surprised when Padma Patil came to sit with them.

Still, even charms couldn't rival Rommie's excitement for their first transfiguratrion class. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall opened the first lesson with a familiar warning, Rommie silently reciting it simultaneously with her, "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson only Rommie and Hermione got it right, each earning five points for Gryffindor and more importantly a smile from Professor McGonagall. A few others, like Nieve and Jaimie, weren't able to complete the transfiguration but still made good progress.

Then eventually Friday arrived, and with it the class that despite Hermione's encouragement Rommie's been dreading all week – potions with Snape. The dark professor who seemed to hate her.

To make matters worse, the class was to be take place in a cold creepy dungeon, where pickled animals were floating in glass jars all around the walls. And as if Snape and his scary dungeon weren't enough, there were the Slytherin students to deal with as well. Unsurprisingly, between muggle-born Hermione, timid Nieve and semi-pariah Rommie, their trio seemed like a perfect bullying target to Pansy Parkinson and her friends.

Snape started the class by taking the roll call, saying Rommie's name with more loathing than she ever thought was possible. When he got to Jaimie Potter's name, however, he paused. He looked down at the list of names, even more hatred and disgust on his face than when he'd look at Rommie, but when he looked at the redhead that malice was completely gone. Finally he simply skipped her name, and continued to the next.

The professor finished calling the names and looked up at the class. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they all heard every word – Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Rommie and Nieve exchanged nervous looks, but Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Perhaps most surprising was that Jaimie, who usually just listened and took notes with a blank face, seemed to be thoroughly impressed and fascinated.

"Miss Black," Snape suddenly said, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione and Jaimie both lifted a hand in the air, ready to answer the question, but Rommie looked into the professor's dark eyes and answered, "A very powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Death, professor."

Gesturing at Jaimie with his hand, Snape said, "Correct her answer."

"You'd only get a half brewed potion, sir," the redhead said, "Making the Draught properly also requires sloth brain and Sopophorous bean juice, as well as very precise stirring."

Snape gave her a curt nod. "Ten points to Gryffindor," he awarded her, and then looking back at Rommie added, "Nine points deducted for the incomplete answer."

Most Gryffindors, except for Ron who apparently blamed Rommie, scowled at Snape for deducting most of the points he just awarded. Even Malfoy and his two friends seemed annoyed, although it was probably just because their head of house favored Jaimie. However the rest of the Slytherin students, and Pansy more than anyone, snickered as the professor continued to quiz Rommie.

"Let's try again, Miss Black. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Again Hermione and Jaimie stretched their arms, but Rommie answered confidently, "In the stomach of a goat, sir."

He looked at Hermione, who sat next to Rommie in perfect silence, and said, "I guess it's useful to have Granger whisper to you the correct answer. Five points from Gryffindor. Each. What is the difference, Black, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione didn't move a muscle this time, and even Jaimie's hand was only slightly raised. "They're both aconite," Rommie answered, looking with as much determination as she could muster at the potions master, "And Hermione didn't whisper to me anything, sir."

After considering her for a few seconds, he said, "Bothering to open your books is hardly an impressive achievement, and certainly no excuse for your insolence. Four more points from Gryffindor."

Rommie could barely believe he just docked her thirteen points for correctly answering three questions. Suddenly turning to the rest of the class, Snape barked, "Why are you all not copying it?"

Everyone quickly scratched the questions and the answers on to their parchments. When they were done, he divided them into pairs and set them to the task of making a simple potion that cured a boil.

Somehow, even though she was sitting between Nieve and Hermione, Snape managed to make sure Rommie ended up working with Pansy. The Slytherin girl seemed perfectly content to let her partner do all the work, and instead prickled the Gryffindor's face with porcupine quills while she tried to make the potion. Snape, who passed between the students and criticized everyone's work but Jaimie, didn't seem to mind Pansy's behavior.

Rommie worked as carefully as she could, making sure several times that she's correctly following the instructions. It wasn't easy with Pansy constantly bothering her, but she managed somehow. Thankfully, she could see that next to her, Nieve and Hermione's potion was also going well.

"Put some of what you've made in a flagon and set it on my desk. I will be grading your work," Snape finally told them near the class's end. Once they all did, and after he was done praising Jaimie's perfectly brewed potion and awarding her fifteen points, he scolded Rommie, "Ten points from Gryffindor for not letting Miss Parkinson contribute to making the potion, Miss Black. Did you think taking all the credit for this mediocre potion will make you look better?"

At least this time Rommie learned the lesson of not arguing with him, even as Pansy and her friends burst in laughter.


	8. The Remembrall

**Wow, thank you so much QueenRhiannon!**

* * *

Two days later, on Sunday morning as she made her way to breakfast with Hermione and Nieve, Rommie felt something bump into her back right before she fell from the top of the grand marble staircase leading down to the entrance hall. Luckily Madam Pince, the librarian, was there to magically halt the young witch's fall.

Her arm was still broken, though, and as the pain hit tears rolled down from her eyes. Hermione and Nieve rushed to help the girl up and go with her to the hospital wing, but the three girls stopped when they heard Jaimie tell Pince, "Madam, it was Pansy. I saw her push Rommie down the stairs."

The librarian, who was apparently perfectly content to let Rommie become Madam Pomfrey's problem, turned back with a look of annoyance. She looked up at the top of the staircase, where Pansy smirked at Rommie. The injured girl and her friends looked at the Slytherin as well.

"An accident, Miss Parkinson?" Pince asked.

"Yes, madam," the tall girl answered, barely keeping a straight face, "So sorry, Romola."

There didn't seem to be a point in asking what Pansy was even doing up there except ambush Rommie, considering the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons. As the three girls started to make their way to the hospital wing, they heard Pince concede after protest from Jaimie and a few other Gryffindors.

"Just try to be more careful next time, Parkinson. Two points off."

Thinking was difficult with the pain Rommie was feeling, but even so she was grateful and surprised that Jaimie intervened to protect her.

* * *

When Madam Pomfrey discharged her less than an hour later with a thoroughly recovered arm, Rommie never would have imagined that a few days later she'll wish her arm was still wounded. But that's exactly how she felt as Thursday, and their first flying lesson with the Slytherins, came closer.

It wasn't flying that made her nervous. Although she didn't constantly brag about it like some of their other classmates, Rommie was decent enough on a broomstick. What concerned her was the plethora of different ways Pansy could take advantage of that class to bully her.

Unfortunately her friends were also quite scared of the class, as both of them have never ridden a broom before. Rommie tried to reassure them, apparently not very successfully as they continued to study _Quidditch Through the Ages_ for flying tips with miserable faces, although in her own mind she kept seeing Pansy knocking her off her broomstick.

Of course, whenever she tried to get her mind off flying class, it would only take a minute for her to overhear other first-years talk excitedly about flying and quidditch. And whenever people talked about quidditch, eventually they talked about Jaimie Potter. Between her father being known as one of Europe's best chasers, and Ron Weasley telling everyone how fast she was on a broomstick, some of their classmates seemed even more excited about seeing her fly than flying themselves. The Girl Who Lived just shrugged whenever people asked her about it, though, saying that she probably just had more experience.

At breakfast Thursday morning, Hermione decided to share all of the (mostly useless) knowledge that she managed to learn from the quidditch books. Nieve was desperately hanging on to her every word, but everyone else tried to ignore her. Rommie was busy trying to practice a spell she found, that was supposed to slow her fall if Pansy will manage to knock her off the broom. Both girls were interrupted by the arrival of the mail, however.

A barn owl brought Nieve a small package from her grandmother. She opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. "It's a remembrall!" she explained, "Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red – Oh..." her face fell as the remembrall glowed scarlet, "you've forgotten something."

Nieve was trying to remember what she'd forgotten when Pansy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the remembrall out of her hand. Rommie and Hermione jumped to their feet, trying to look fierce even though the Slytherin girl towered over them. But Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Pansy's got my remembrall, professor," Nieve explained.

Scowling, Pansy dropped the remembrall back on the table, 'accidentally' hitting Hermione with her shoulder while doing it. "Just looking," she said, walking away with Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass behind her.

At three-thirty that afternoon, all the Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns. On the opposite side of the grounds, Rommie could see the forbidden forest – which made her think of home.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived a moment later. She had short grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked, "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

"You'll be fine, this is so much easier than riding an aethonan," she quietly told her friends, only realising a second later they've probably never ridden any kind of winged horse.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"Up!" everyone shouted. Jaimie Potter's mouth barely opened before the broom jumped to her hand, but after a couple of tries most students (including Rommie) managed to get the broomsticks to their hands as well. Unfortunately, Hermione's broom just rolled on the ground and Nieve's hadn't moved at all. Still, with some reassuring from the flying instructor and Rommie, they both managed to get their brooms to jump at least halfway to their hands.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Ron Weasley giggled with delight when she told Draco Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch, "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – Three... Two..."

But Nieve, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, girl!" she shouted, but Nieve was rising straight up at frightening speed, more than twenty feet in the air. It all happened so fast, and everyone was too stunned to help, as her scared white face looked down at the ground falling away. With a gasp, she started to slip sideways off the broomstick.

Suddenly remembering the spell she learned, Rommie pulled out her wand. "Arresto momentum!" she cast the slowing charm just barely in time. Nieve landed on the grass in a dull thud. She lay face down for a few seconds, but as Madam Hooch rushed over to her, the girl got up with a weak smile. "Thanks, Rommie," she said. There were tears in her eyes, and she clutched her wrist in pain, but at least it wasn't broken.

"Maybe I should go with Nieve to the hospital wing just in case, madam?" Hermione offered, mainly because she was worried for her friend, but also to get as far away from the flying brooms as possible.

Hooch nodded, and continued with the lesson after the two left. At some point, when they were flying higher off the ground and Madam Hooch was distracted helping other students, Pansy stopped her broomstick in the air next to Rommie.

"Look what I found, Black," she said smugly, throwing something in the air and catching it a few times, "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent her." The Remembrall glittered in the sun as she held it up.

"Give it back, Pansy," Rommie said quietly.

Pansy smiled, ignoring the Gryffindor girl as she and Daphne Greengrass started throwing the remembrall back and forth between them.

"Give it, Pansy," Rommie demanded again, angry enough to ignore her fear of the tall girl.

Jaimie, who overheard them, joined the black haired witch's side. "Give her the ball," she said sternly.

"Seriously, Potter? Never thought you'll be sticking up for Black's fat little crybaby... Fine, catch it," Pansy said, suddenly throwing the glass orb at Rommie's face. She didn't even have time to try dodging the ball, and just shrieked in terror as it hit her right below the eye. It hurt, a lot, but she wasn't knocked off the broom.

"I'm alright, get the ball!" she urgently told the redhead. Jaimie hesitated for a split second, looking at her with concern, before diving after the remembrall with incredible speed.

Maybe it was just because one of her eyes was shut, but Rommie couldn't even see the glass orb. Clearly, though, Jaimie did. By this time (probably because of the other Gryffindor's shrieking) everyone was looking at the Girl Who Lived. She raced after the ball and just a foot above the grass, as the other students screamed or gasped because it seemed like she's going to crash right into the ground, she stretched out her hand and caught it. Pulling out of the dive, Jaimie landed softly on the grass with the orb clutched in her hand.

Everyone followed her to the ground, descending much more slowly, and the Gryffindors all cheered for Jaimie. All of them were united in that moment, even Rommie was included. To make things even better, Madam Hooch was angrily scolding Pansy and Daphne.

"Jaimie Rose Potter!" their glee was interrupted by a familiar voice as Professor McGonagall stormed towards them, "Never, in all my time in Hogwarts..." The Professor was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "How dare you! You could have broken your neck!"

"It's my fault, professor," Rommie said. She was so focused on getting Nieve's remembrall back, and on her anger with Pansy, that she didn't stop to think about the risks to Jaimie's safety.

"Be quiet, Miss Black," the professor said in a sharp voice, but when she noticed the girl had a black eye she added softly, "Please get to the hospital wing, Romola. Miss Dunbar, go with her."

As they started going, the two girls heard Ron protest, "But Parkinson – "

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Looking back, Rommie could see that between Hooch placing Pansy and Daphne in detention, and McGonagall's apparent anger with Jaimie, almost everyone but Draco Malfoy seemed crestfallen. The deputy headmistress walked briskly past the girls towards the castle, and Jaimie had to jog to keep up with her.


	9. Killed - or Worse

It was already dinnertime when Madam Pomfrey finally let the four Gryffindor girls leave the hospital wing. Treating Nieve and Rommie's injuries didn't take long, of course, but the same couldn't be said about the lecture she gave Rommie. Apparently a third visit to the matron in one week would be a very bad idea.

Somehow she doubted explaining that to Pansy will help.

"I really think you should tell Professor McGonagall, or at least one of the Gryffindor prefects," Hermione tried to persuade her black haired friend, not for the first time, as they walked towards the great hall.

"Professor McGonagall can't know," Rommie insisted, as she did before, "She might tell my Grams, who could overreact and pull me out of Hogwarts. I rather deal with Pansy than take that risk."

She knew that Hermione wasn't comfortable with that decision, but also that she could understand her friend's reasons.

When they finally made it to dinner, the young witches were surprised to see that their fellow Gryffindor first-years seemed more cheerful than when they last saw them. Sitting separately but nearby, Rommie and her friends could hear the conversation. Jaimie refused to say anything except that she wasn't in trouble, even when Ron and Fay practically begged her to explain, but not long after that the Weasley twins came over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice, but they could still hear him, "Wood told us. We're on the team too – beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred, "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. We already knew you're good, Jaimie, but Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

As his brothers disappeared, Ron asked, "Wait, so you're really Gryffindor's new..."

"Seeker," Rommie said at the same time as Jaimie, getting a dirty look from Ron for invading their conversation.

"How did you figure it out?" the Girl Who Lived asked her curiously. Unlike Ron, she didn't seem to mind the intrusion.

Suddenly feeling shy, she answered, "Umm, well... You're thin, and faster than anyone I've ever seen on a broomstick. And, well, after that thing with the remembrall, I guess Professor McGonagall saw that you're good at spotting and catching tiny fast-moving objects. So... Seeker is the most likely position for you."

It was difficult to tell for sure, as usual when trying to read Jaimie's emotions, but she almost seemed impressed by Rommie's explanation. Either way, a second later the redhead's attention returned to her friends.

"You're joking," Ron said, shocked by the news, "The seeker? But first-years never..."

"You must be the youngest house player in about – "

"A century?" Ron finished Fay's question, and Jaimie nodded.

"I start training next week," she said, "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Hermione and Nieve were talking about their fear of flying, and Jaimie was talking with Fay about quidditch, so no one else heard Ron when he told Rommie a minute later, "I know Jaimie may not show, but quidditch is important to her. So you better keep her secret, which by the way you never should have heard. Unless keeping secrets is too much to ask from a Black?"

Rommie's face turned white, and she just stared at him for a few seconds before quickly getting up and rushing out of the great hall with tears in her eyes. She knew that Ron wasn't being intentionally mean like Pansy, that he was trying to protect his friend, but that only made her feel worse.

Her head wasn't even focused on where she was going. All she could think about was her parents. Her murderous traitorous parents.

Then she squealed in alarm when strong hands grabbed and lifted her from behind.

* * *

"It's half past eleven, Nieve," Hermione insisted, "We have to tell one of the prefects."

"You can't," the other girl said, "You heard what she said about her Grams."

"This is different. We don't know where she is, Nieve."

"I'll help you look for her," Jaimie said suddenly, joining the other two who were sitting in the common room. She didn't know where Romola was, or what exactly Ron told her, but clearly he made the girl upset. Although he obviously didn't mean for her to go missing.

Whatever it was that happened, Jaimie felt responsible. Ron was her best friend, and the only reason he treated Romola like he did was out of misguided loyalty.

"You can't be serious," Hermione said, "We have no idea where she is. How are we going to find her? Besides, we mustn't go wandering around the school at night, we're bound to be caught. Even if we find Rommie, we'll all be on the train home tomorrow."

"I think Ron's brothers might be able to help," Jaimie said, leading the way to the boys' dormitories.

"You mean brother," Hermione corrected her, "Percy, the prefect. That's what I was saying."

"No, I mean brothers. Fred and George, the twins."

* * *

Silently scrubbing trophies with _Madame Glossy's Silver Polish,_ Rommie could barely keep her eyes open. She was so tired...

But the Slytherin girls weren't going to let her stop cleaning. Pansy already told her, that as far as she and Daphne were concerned, it was Rommie's fault they got detention. _"So I don't care if you have to spend the whole night cleaning, you're going to make sure that when we come to clean the trophy room tomorrow – it will already be shining."_

She didn't even bother pointing out that Filch will just find another punishment for them, nor asking Millicent Bulstrode why she was even there with Pansy and Daphne. She thought that at least it will be a distraction from thinking about her parents, but the cleaning just made her more miserable, and with the Slytherins playing exploding snap while keeping an eye on her ( _Seriously, it's like they're trying to be caught_ ) her thoughts were left to wander.

It was almost midnight when finally something happened. The door at the other end of the room opened with a slight creak, making Rommie and the Slytherin girls turn to look. Jaimie, Hermione and Nieve stood there, looking as surprised as the other four girls felt.

"I can't believe the twins were right," Nieve said, although Rommie wasn't sure what she meant.

"Are you alright, Rommie?" Hermione asked, looking relieved that they found her.

Hesitantly, she answered, "Yes, I'm fine..."

"Exactly what's going on here, Pansy?" Jaimie asked. Her voice sounded calm, but the anger in her eyes was clear.

Rommie was touched, and also really grateful to all three of them. She couldn't believe that they cared enough to wander the castle in the middle of the night looking for her. _They must be breaking so many rules right now..._

"This is really none of your business," Pansy said. The three Slytherin girls were standing between Rommie and the other Gryffindors, blocking her from getting to them.

"Unless you want to help Black scrubbing," Daphne added.

"I suggest we all go back to bed now," Hermione said sternly, "Unless you want to keep standing here and wait for Filch to catch us? Because if he finds us we'll tell him the truth, and the three of you will be in even bigger trouble than you already are."

"You've got some nerve – " Daphne started, but Pansy stopped her. The tall girl stood inches from Hermione's face, towering over her, "If any you'll get us caught or tell on us, Granger, I'm going to learn the Hair Loss Curse just so I can use it on you."

Before anyone could say anything else, however, a noise in the next room made them all jump. The seven young witches only just raised their wands when they heard someone speak. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner," it was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris, his voice growing closer, "They should be in there somewhere."

Horror-stricken, the Slytherin girls ran with all their speed to the door away from Filch, pushing Rommie out through it and nearly trampling her. "Malfoy must have tipped him off," she heard Daphne say quietly as they ran away, "I told you he's heard us."

But Rommie didn't have time to even think about that, as just a second before Filch entered the trophy room the other Gryffindors closed the door behind them and helped her up. "They're probably hiding," she heard him mutter as they scurried away silently.

"This way," Jaimie mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer.

Nieve suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run – she tripped, grabbed Hermione around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. The clanging and crashing must have been enough to wake the whole castle.

"Run!" Jaimie yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following. They swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Jaimie in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway. Hurtling along it, they came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"I think we've lost him," Jaimie panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her forehead. Nieve was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

"I... seriously..." Hermione gasped, clutching her chest, "Seriously... hope... he caught them."

"I can't believe the three of you came for me," Rommie could barely speak, emotions and exhaustion weighing on her, "Seriously, thank you so much."

"It was the right thing to do," said Jaimie. Nieve and Hermione were still out of breath, but the redhead was in better physical shape, "We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower, though, quickly as possible."

"Was Filch..." Hermione could barely ask between pants, "Looking for us?"

Rommie shook her head, "For Pansy's gang. They said Malfoy probably told him." Obviously Malfoy didn't do it to help her, but considering they would likely have to fight the Slytherin girls if he didn't, Rommie was still a little bit grateful for it.

"Let's go," Jaimie said. Although it wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them. It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out," Jaimie beseeched him.

Peeves cackled, "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly, "It's for your own good, you know."

"But it wasn't even our fault," Nieve protested, "Pansy and her friends –" But Peeves either didn't care, or more likely was even less inclined to help now that he knew they weren't doing mischief.

"Students out of bed!" the poltergeist bellowed, "Students out of bed down the Charms corridor!"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked.

"This is it!" Nieve moaned as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!" They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Move over, Nieve," Hermione said, sternly but soothingly too. Tapping the lock with her wand, she whispered, "Alohomora."

The lock clicked and the door swung open. The four witches piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it to listen.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please."'

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right – please."

"Nothing! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Jaimie whispered, "I think we'll be okay..." But as Rommie turned to look behind her because Nieve has been tugging at her robes for minute, the black haired witch wasn't so sure about that.

"I think I'd rather take my chances with Filch," she whispered, making Jaimie and Hermione turn to look at her in surprise, only to stop midway and look up in shock.

They weren't in a room, as they had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes. Three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction. Three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Rommie knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise. But it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Jaimie nodded in agreement with Rommie, opening the door carefully so the dog won't be alarmed. "Between Filch and death," she said, slamming the door shut as soon as they were out, "I'd definitely take Filch."

Then they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their flushed sweaty faces, and the silver polish can Rommie only just realised she was still clutching.

"Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Jaimie, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs. It was a while before any of them could say anything. Nieve actually looked as if she'd never speak again.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Rommie finally asked weakly.

"I guess you didn't see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked.

"A trapdoor," Jaimie said, "It's obviously guarding something, but Romola's right – it's irresponsible to put it in a school, with just a simple lock between it and the students."

They all nodded, still shaken from their encounter with the monster.

Hermione stood up, glaring down as if her glare could penetrate down through the castle's many floors all the way to the Slytherin dormitories (seeing that angry glare, Rommie wasn't entirely sure that it couldn't). "I hope Pansy and Daphne are pleased with themselves," she said, "We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled." She stormed angrily to their bedroom, and the other girls followed her.

But as she finally climbed into bed, seconds before exhaustion quickly made her fall asleep, Rommie thought about what Jaimie and Hermione said. Dumbledore wasn't known for being irresponsible – if he kept a dangerous monster locked in Hogwarts, that had to mean that whatever it was guarding was even more dangerous.


	10. Autumn Wars

The next morning, on their way to breakfast, Rommie and her friends were practically shoved out of the way as Crabbe, Goyle and a green haired boy she didn't recognise angrily crossed the entrance hall and marched to the Slytherin table.

"When my father hears about what you've done he'll..." the boy angrily started to tell a smirking Pansy, and only then Rommie realised this was Malfoy. Apparently Pansy and her friends used a jinx to dye his hair in revenge for trying to get them caught.

"He'll realise that some people actually work rather than sit in their manor all day," Pansy interrupted Malfoy, towering over him as all four of the other Slytherin first-year girls glared threateningly at Crabbe and Goyle (and it wasn't an empty threat, since three of them – Millicent, Isobel Runcorn and Pansy herself – were actually bigger and more intimidating than the boys), "And then he'll reconsider bothering the head of the Department of Accidents and Catastrophes with complaints about his daughter's harmless little prank."

Many, most noticeably Ron Weasley, giggled with delight at Malfoy's humiliation. But Rommie felt sorry for him, especially since he unintentionally helped her last night. After breakfast, she and Hermione did a little research and found a spell he could use to turn his hair blonde again, although his ungrateful huff when they gave him the spell's instructions made them regret it a little.

Still, in the following days things seemed to be improving for Rommie. The rivalry between Pansy and Malfoy seemed to distract the tall girl and her friends from bullying her (except during potions class, under Snape's encouragement). Additionally, Ron seemed to regret his unintended part in what happened to Rommie (although he was probably too proud to admit that), and was now much less hostile toward her.

Things weren't all perfect for the Gryffindors, however. After Rommie told her friends what Ron said to her, Hermione demanded Ron to apologise (which Rommie told her he was never going to do, and she wasn't even sure he should). Once he refused, the ginger boy and bushy haired witch seemed to find more new reasons to be angry at each other every day. Thankfully for everyone's ears, after a few days of escalating arguments they decided to ignore each other completely instead.

About a week later during breakfast, as mail-carrying owls flooded the great hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by Hera – Jaimie's falcon. She dropped the package right in front of Jaimie, knocking her breakfast to the floor, and fluttered away.

"Is this what I think it is?" Rommie heard Ron quietly ask Jaimie, as the redhead witch read the note attached to the package, "Your Cleansweep Seven?"

Jaimie shook her head, showing him the note. When she noticed Rommie's curiosity, she gave her the note as well, trusting the black haired witch won't tell anyone.

 _Dear Jaimie,_

 _I was so glad to hear the good news about you joining the Gryffindor Quidditch Team when Professor McGonagall asked me to send you your broomstick. I'm sure your father will be proud as well._

 _I hope you won't mind that I took the liberty of buying you a new Nimbus 2000 rather than send your Cleansweep (don't worry, I bought it with your father's money)._

 _Also, Professor McGonagall asked me to remind you not to open the parcel at the table, since the other students aren't supposed to know you have a broomstick (although I'm not entirely sure what else they could think is in the broom-shaped package)._

 _Good luck on your first training with the team!_

 _Uncle Remus_

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously, "I've never even touched one."

Soon afterwards, Jaimie left the hall with Ron and Fay to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class. As they got up from the table, Ron looked at Rommie and opened his mouth – possibly to remind her not to tell anyone – but a glare from Hermione who sat next to her stopped him instantly.

* * *

The following weeks were some of the best Rommie ever had. Even though the tensions between Hermione and Ron continued to grow, and Snape continued to make his class as insufferable as possible to her, the black haired young witch was finally feeling like she belonged in Hogwarts. The other Gryffindors seemed to accept her as one of them now that they got to know her, and their classes were (for the most part) getting more interesting as they finished mastering the basics.

The thing Rommie was most grateful for, however, was that for the first time in her life she had real friends. Hermione and Rommie were almost inseparable, and more often than not they were with Nieve as well (although apparently when her friends were being too bookish and studied in the library with Padma Patil, Nieve preferred to spend that time discussing herbology with Hannah Abbott).

Even when Pansy seemed to have grown bored with her and Malfoy's 'war', which meant Rommie was once again her favourite target, she couldn't bring the Gryffindor witch's mood down for long. Rommie managed to learn a couple of basic healing spells, allowing her to visit Madam Pomfrey less frequently – she thought she could trust the matron's discretion, but she didn't want to risk Professor McGonagall knowing about Pansy's bullying.

"It's not so bad," she'd tell Hermione whenever the bushy-haired witch tried to change her mind, "I promise I'll tell if they even think of hurting you or Nieve, but as long as it's just me this is my decision."

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors (although as Padma pointed out when they entered the charms classroom, they were nowhere near the kitchens so the smell was just the effect of a spell). Professor Flitwick opened the class with the announcement that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Nieve's toad zoom around the classroom, and put the class into pairs to practice.

Rommie was partnered with Padma, and Nieve's partner was Jaimie Potter, but Hermione was to be working with Ron Weasley. It was hard to tell whether Hermione or Ron was angrier about this. The two haven't said a word to each other in over a month – ever since a whispering argument in the library that ended with Madam Pince deducting ten points from Gryffindor and barring them both from the library for a week (a punishment that Hermione obviously took much harder).

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" reminded Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual, "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too — never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

It took them a while to get it right, but eventually Rommie and Padma were the first two to make their feather fly. "Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping, "Everyone see here, Miss Patil and Miss Black have done it!"

He awarded their houses five points each, and Jaimie, who also got her feather to fly shortly after them, was helping Nieve with the spell. But others seemed to have more difficulty with it. Seamus Finnigan and Fay Dunbar were constantly swishing and flicking their wands, but their feather didn't even move. Eventually Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and accidentally set fire to it, which Fay had to put out with her hat.

At the next table, Hermione looked at the feather sadly as Ron waved his long arms like a windmill and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Apparently the witch hasn't even gotten a chance to try casting the spell yet, since his exaggerated movements blocked her access to the feather.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione finally snapped, "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Professor, Hermione did it on her first try," Rommie said proudly, smiling at her friend.

"Very impressive, Miss Granger," Flitwick said, smiling brightly, "Four points to Gryffindor."

Weasley was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand those two know-it-all's," Rommie and Hermione heard him tell Jaimie as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "They're a nightmare, honestly. "

"You know they can hear you, right?" Jaimie reminded him with a hint of scolding in her voice, as the two witches walked past them.

"So?" the ginger boy said defensively, "Maybe it's time they noticed you'd have to be a lunatic to want them as friends."

Rommie and Hermione ignored Ron. They knew he was just jealous, and didn't really care what he had to say.

Either way, when the next class was about to begin, they had a much more pressing concern.

"Where's Nieve?" Rommie asked Hermione, but the other girl had no idea.


	11. The Mountain Troll

**Thanks, Cali! I'm glad you like it! I don't want to reveal too much, but keep in mind some characters are very different in this fic than their originals. Still, I hope you'll enjoy how it develops.**

* * *

Rommie and Hermione haven't seen Nieve all afternoon, and they were starting to get really worried. They tried looking for her, but had no luck. Eventually Hermione suggested asking the Weasley twins for help, and they went to the Gryffindor tower to find them.

However it seemed they won't need the weasleys' help after all. As they entered the Gryffindor common room, the girls heard Fay telling Jaimie that Nieve was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. "She wouldn't say what it's about, though," Fay said worriedly.

"We'll go talk to her," Rommie said, "You two should probably get ready for the Halloween feast."

Heading to the bathroom where Fay heard Hermione, the girls quietly entered and Rommie called, "Nieve? Are you here?"

"Go away," she answered, and it sounded like she was still crying, "please."

"We're your friends, Nieve," Hermione told her, "We're here for you."

"You don't have to tell us what's going on, until you want to," Rommie said, "But we're not going anywhere."

After a long moment, Nieve opened the stall's door. She didn't seem physically hurt, but from how red her eyes were, she's clearly been crying for a long time. She opened her mouth, maybe to tell them why she's been crying, when the stall door started to shake and then everything around them began to tremble.

As the three witches exchanged worried looks, a terrible stench reached their nostrils – like a mixture of mould and sewage. "Is there..." Rommie started, but stopped. _No, no... That's not possible..._

But as they heard the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet coming closer, and low booming grunts echoing from the corridor, the black haired witch was sure that she's right.

"I think it's a tro-" she started to say, pulling her friends towards the door, but they all stopped and backed away almost instantly. It was too late. Stopping at the doorway, the troll peered inside and waggled its long ears.

Rommie's seen a couple of forest trolls before, but this creature was much bigger and she could tell from the look on its face it was meaner too. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey rather than green like the trolls she knew. Its great lumpy body was like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was more awful than that of forest trolls as well, and it was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

"There's a troll in the castle! Why is there a troll in the castle?! Why do we run into monsters on a monthly basis here?!"but Hermione and Nieve were too busy screaming to stop the other girl's outburst, as the troll made up its tiny mind and slouched into the room.

Then, over the thundering noise the troll made as it smashed the stall closest to the door, they heard a nearly silent but terrible sound. "The key's in the lock, I'll lock it inside," Ron called, and although they heard Jaimie say, "No! Ron, don't!" the lock clicked a few seconds later.

The troll smashed another bathroom stall, the three girls backing away in fear to the furthest corner, as they heard Jaimie shout from the other side of the door, "You locked it in the girls' bathroom, Ron!"

They heard Ron and Jaimie fumbling with the lock, and just as the monster's club shattered the sink right next to the girls, the other two Gryffindors burst into the bathroom.

"Confuse it!" Jaimie said urgently to Ron, and seizing a tap from the floor she threw it as hard as she could against the wall. The troll stopped a few feet from the other girls. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its malevolent little eyes saw Jaimie and it hesitated, then made for her instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead.

"Come on, run, run!" Jaimie yelled at the other three, as the troll tried to decide where to turn. Rommie started to go, but stopped immediately when she realised her friends were too shocked to move anywhere. Hermione was standing frozen with her mouth open in terror, and Nieve was slowly sinking to the floor.

The creature seemed to have decided to target Jaimie eventually, trying to hit the redhead with its frightening club. Fortunately Jaimie was nimble, enough to dodge a couple of club swings, but the troll was slowly moving towards her.

Rommie and Ron both pulled out their wands, desperate to help Jaimie before she's crushed to death. "Arresto Momentum," the black haired witch cast, slowing the troll just barely – but it was enough for Jaimie to get away. Just as the creature slowly turned its head to follow the redhead, Ron cried out the first spell that came into his head, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over — and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Rommie helped Nieve to her feet, both of them trembling in shock. Jaimie was shaking too, catching her breath after she had to dodge the monster's attacks. Ron and Hermione just stood frozen and stared at the troll, the boy's wand still raised.

It was Nieve who spoke first, "Is it... dead?"

"I don't think so," Jaimie panted, "I think it's just been knocked out."

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the five of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at the five Gryffindor first-years. She was so angry, her lips were white. Rommie has never seen her like this.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Rommie looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air, "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Snape looked at Jaimie, and then his piercing eyes swiftly turned to Rommie. He looked angry, but unlike McGonagall who was just angry that they all almost died, he seemed to be angry specifically at Rommie. For a moment, she thought it would be better to face the troll again than deal with the potions master.

Rommie looked at the floor just to avoid the professor's dark gaze, but right next to her, she heard Hermione speak.

"Please, Professor McGonagall — this is my fault," Hermione said, and for a second Rommie looked at her in confusion. Then she understood what her friend had already realised – everyone else already knew about the troll, and still the other two came looking for the three of them. She felt incredibly grateful, and knew Hermione was right – they had to cover for Jaimie and Ron.

"Our fault," she corrected Hermione, "Ron and Jaimie were only here to find us. Hermione and I went looking for the troll because we... We thought that we could deal with it on our own — you know, because I've seen my grandmother handle forest trolls before, and Hermione's read all about them..."

"We dragged Nieve along with us," Hermione hurriedly added, "She didn't want to come, but we promised it will be safe... Clearly we've been wrong."

Ron finally dropped his wand. He and Nieve stared at the two girls in poorly concealed shock, but at least Jaimie looked like none of this was news to her.

"If they hadn't found us, we'd be dead by now," Rommie said.

"They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone," Hermione added, "It was about to finish us off when they arrived."

"Well — in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the two of them, "You foolish girls, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

They both hung their heads low. The last thing either of them wanted to do was let Professor McGonagall down, but this was the right thing to do.

"Miss Black, Miss Granger, twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall, "I'm very disappointed in both you. As for you two," she said, looking at Jaimie and Ron, "You were extremely lucky, but still not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. Rommie was relieved to be away from the troll's stench and Professor McGonagall's disappointed gaze, but she knew that Snape won't be done with her so easily. _I just hope he won't take his anger out on Hermione too... Or Nieve, who still hasn't said why she'd been crying..._

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Pig snout," Jaimie said and they entered. The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. The five first-years stood near the entrance in awkward silence, unnoticed by everyone else. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.


	12. The Girl Who Lived

Rommie was still quite shaken from their fight with the troll, and she dreaded having to go to potions class the following day, so it was not surprising that she didn't sleep well that night.

She was having a particularly disturbing nightmare, in which Snape was asking her increasingly difficult questions and deducting house points for every little error, while trolls that looked like Pansy and Millicent threw her back and forth between them. She must have made some kind of distressed noise, since Jaimie was crouching next to her bed and looking at her with concern when she woke up, but at least she didn't seem to have disturbed the other girls' sleep.

"Are you alright?" the redhead girl asked quietly, "You... It sounded like you were crying."

Jaimie was already dressed for the day, but Rommie saw from the window that it was still dark outside. Almost every morning since their first day in Hogwarts, Jaimie went outside before the rest of them woke up and was back in time for breakfast.

"Yes, thank you," Rommie answered, "I just had a bad dream."

"I have those too, this time of the year," Jaimie said, and the black haired witch looked down in guilt. _Of course... How could I forget?_

"I'm sorry, Jaimie," she whispered softly.

"I know, but it's not your fault," Jaimie offered her a sad smile. It looked a little forced, but Rommie still really appreciated the gesture, "You don't have to keep apologising."

Jaimie stood up, turning to leave, but then stopped and said, "Do you want to come with me? I can wait for you to get ready."

* * *

A few minutes later, the two of them went out through the Fat Lady's portrait. "Are we even allowed to be wandering the castle this early?" Rommie wondered out loud.

Jaimie shrugged, "Maybe not, but I've never run into any trouble."

They didn't speak much as they walked, but somehow the silence didn't feel awkward. Rommie was curious to finally see what Jaimie was doing every morning, but for the most part she just appreciated the other girl's trust.

When they finally closed the castle's doors behind them, however, Rommie asked, "Umm... Where to now?"

Jaimie didn't answer, but smiled softly. It was different than most smiles Rommie's seen from her, more genuine rather than just polite, and seeing it made her happy enough to forget about her worries for a while.

She followed Jaimie through the castle grounds' dewy grass, and didn't ask where they were going again. Wherever it was, she was going to just trust the redhead witch.

Seeing it all like this, quiet and empty in the faint light of early morning, was really beautiful. The magnificent and serene view, together with her gratitude to Jaimie for sharing it with her, brought tears to her eyes which she did her best to hide.

"Look," Jaimie suddenly said, smiling, and pointed to the sky. At first Rommie didn't see anything, but just as she was about to turn in confusion to look at the other girl, she saw something flying toward them.

"What is th-" she started to ask, then heard Hera's loud cry. Jaimie's falcon flew to them, and sat on the redhead's outstretched hand.

"I don't really get to see her much during the day," Jaimie explained, "And I always liked to get up early and go outside. I'd be flying with her on my broom, if we were back home, but first-years aren't supposed to have broomsticks."

Looking at Rommie from her seat on the other girl's arm, the white falcon called to her softly.

"I think she wants to perch on you," Jaimie told her, sounding amused, "It's a bit strange... She usually doesn't like anyone but me and Remus..."

Unsure, Rommie stretched her hand in the same way Jaimie did. The falcon immediately moved to her, looking up at her face. "She's so pretty," the black haired witch said in wonder, smiling at Jaimie, "How long have you had her?"

"She's been with my family pretty much for as long as I remember," she answered, "But my father gave her to me about five years ago."

"Is that when he started playing in the French league?" Rommie asked, to which she nodded.

Rommie was curious to know more about Jaimie, but she felt awkward asking too many questions. Things were just starting to feel normal between them, like they were more than their families' history, and she dreaded ruining that.

As she hesitated, Hera suddenly flew away and a second later she heard panting coming towards them. Turning around, the girls saw Hagrid's hound running excitedly to them, and the keeper of keys and grounds following it.

"Get back here, Fang! Don't bother the students," Hagrid called after the oversized dog, but barking excitedly Fang started licking Rommie's face.

"Come 'ere, yeh dozy dog," Hagrid ordered again, and Fang finally let go of Rommie. It seemed that only then Hagrid noticed who the girls were, as he looked between them in surprise. "Rommie an'... Jaimie Potter," he said with a smile, sounding a little emotional, "It's good ter see ye two together. Holdin' on ter old grudges , it's no good."

Rommie blushed and looked down uncomfortably, but she heard Jaimie say, "I completely agree. That's why I invited Romola to join me this morning."

"I saw that bird of yers flyin' away," he told the girl, "It's a smart one, but odd, keeps bringing me hares and rabbits she hunted. Anyway, I guess they're probably 'xpecting ye two at the great hall fer breakfast, but yer welcome to stop by fer tea later."

Rommie wasn't sure it was a great idea. Hagrid knew their parents back when they were all students at Hogwarts, and she worried he'll tell them stories about those days. Sitting next to Jaimie and hearing what great friends the Blacks and Potters used to be before her parents' betrayal, sounded even worse than whatever Snape had planned for her.

She politely refused the offer, but Jaimie promised that Ron and her will be there.

When they entered the great hall together a couple of minutes later, Rommie noticed that more than a few people looked at them curiously and murmured. She knew what they were saying, because she was thinking the same. _Why doesn't Jaimie hate me? Why is she always so nice to me, even after she almost died saving us last night?_ Rationally, Rommie knew that she's never done anything bad to the other girl – but if anyone had reason to hold her parents' actions against her it was the Girl Who Lived, yet she didn't.

Even now, when Rommie was nervous and looked down to avoid people's stares, Jaimie simply ignored it all as they joined the other Gryffindors.

"Umm, are you two friends now?" Ron asked when Jaimie sat in front of him, the black haired witch sitting a short distance from her with Nieve and Hermione.

Rommie couldn't hear the answer, and she wasn't even sure what she hoped the answer was. She liked – even admired – Jaimie, and a part of her liked the idea of being the redhead's friend, but she feared history repeating itself. Maybe she wasn't certain what she wanted, but she definitely didn't want to be like her parents.


	13. Anything too Awful

Rommie's hand was trembling, she noticed, sitting between Nieve and Hermione. She tried to hide it, but from the smirks of Slytherins watching her it was clearly too late. "It will be alright, Rommie," Hermione whispered, "Snape's still our teacher - he won't do anything too awful."

Rommie nodded, but couldn't convince herself that her friend was right. It was easier to keep reminding herself, 'It will only be worse if he has to wait another week. Better get it done with.'

Still, it wasn't easy to keep from saying she's sick and bolting out.

"I will start this class with a cautionary tale," Snape said a few minutes later, "You are all probably aware that a mountain troll was in the castle last night, but you should also know that five students almost lost their lives because of one girl's stupidity and vanity."

 _One girl,_ she processed what he said, _so at least he's not going after Hermione too._

"Miss Runcorn, can you hazard a guess who it might be? Is there anyone of your classmates known to come from a family of cowardly traitors?" he asked smugly.

Isobel Runcorn played along, pretending to be thinking hard, "Maybe it could be... Black, professor?"

"One point to Slytherin. Indeed. It appears Miss Black thought an extravagant act of heroism will make everyone at Hogwarts forget whose daughter she is. She decided that she, a mediocre first-year, can defeat a mature mountain troll. In fact, apparently the rest of us would all have been helpless if it weren't for our saviour Miss Black. She even pressured Miss Granger and Miss Longbottom to aid her plan to gloriously deliver Hogwarts from the monstrous invader, preying on their insecurities for lacking, respectively, pedigree and talent."

Rommie stood up. If Snape wanted to spread his own twisted version of her and Hermione's lie, that was his business. But she wasn't going to let those smug Slytherins snicker as he made fun of her friends.

"Sit down, Miss Black, no need to feign heroism again on your friends' behalf. As I was just about to tell your classmates, we all know that when you try to act brave – others end up having to fight your battles for you. If another student," he gestured at Jaimie, "One who actually has skill and wit, wasn't there to rescue you – the friends you now so eagerly 'defend' would owe their deaths to you."

By this point even Ron looked angrily at Snape, although it might have had a bit to do with the potions master leaving him out of the tale. Jaimie, who everyone knew had a passion for potions, looked at Snape darkly in silent fury. The look in her green eyes was frightening, and Rommie felt lucky it wasn't directed at her.

Daphne Greengrass raised her hand to ask a question, and Snape nodded, "What form of detention did Black get, professor? I mean, she did almost get four other students killed, didn't she?"

"Indeed," Snape said, and Rommie had a feeling something bad was about to happen, "And yet, her only punishment was loss of house points."

"That doesn't sound fair, professor," Pansy said, smiling wickedly at Rommie.

Snape pretended to consider what she said, then nodded and said, "No. It isn't. Miss Black, do you agree that you need to learn a lesson in humility?"

Every bit of Rommie wanted desperately to answer 'no', but she knew it will just make Snape come up with a worse punishment. Instead she said, "Whatever you think is best, professor."

Snape took a small vial out of his pocket, the acid green solution within so menacing-looking that Rommie instinctively flinched in her seat.

 _He just happened to have it on him?_

The black haired witch was staring at the professor in fear, and no one else in the class seemed to be able to look away from him either. "Stop it," they were all startled to suddenly hear Jaimie, her voice hard and cold, "You can't do this, professor." Rommie looked at the redhead, who looked at Snape defiantly from where she stood.

"I do not intend to inflict any real harm on a student," he said, sounding impatient and disappointed, "Sit."

Jaimie did not sit, calm anger on the young girl's face as she and the professor looked at each other for a moment. Finally Snape barked at her, "Sit down immediately, Miss Potter!"

Everyone was shocked. It was just Jaimie's name, but Snape's never used it before in the two months they've been in Hogwarts. And the anger with which he said it... But Jaimie didn't move a muscle, and Rommie knew she had to stop this, before the other girl does something she'll later regret.

"I'll drink it," she blurted, and they turned to look at her. Looking between the potions master and the Girl Who Lived, she said, "I'll drink the potion. Please. I just want to end this already."

* * *

The potion Snape made Rommie drink turned out to be a Shrinking Solution, and she spent the rest of the class looking like a five year old. As per usual, she was working with Pansy, who seemed to greatly enjoy the opportunities for torment and humiliation this state offered.

As if Pansy wasn't bad enough, the cauldron was too big for her tiny size, and her eleven year old robes were like wearing a tent. Unfortunately, these two things meant she had to stand on a stool next to the cauldron to make the potion Snape wanted, and the first time she did her robes caught fire.

At least when the class ended Snape gave her a potion that returned her to normal size, and her hopes came true – the following week things returned to normal, and potions class was a much more bearable brand of torture.

* * *

After their next potions class, Rommie, Nieve and Hermione were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and Hermione had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Rommie noticed at once that Snape was limping. The three girls moved closer together to block the fire from view – they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.

"What's that you've got there, Black?"

It was a transfiguration book named _Transformation Through the Ages_ , and Rommie showed it to the professor.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape, "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"Did he just make that rule up?" Nieve asked indignantly after Snape limped away.

"I think so," Rommie said, "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

Later, when they returned to the common room, the girls met Jaimie who's just finished her homework. The quidditch season had begun and on Saturday, Jaimie would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

It seemed the news that Jaimie was Gryffindor's new seeker had somehow leaked, but fortunately no one seemed to automatically assume Rommie was responsible for it. Even Ron didn't look at her accusingly.

If Jaimie was nervous about the game, especially now that no one else seemed to talk about anything other than her debut as a seeker, she certainly wasn't showing it. However, the redhead seemed to notice Rommie's sour mood, and asked her what happened.

Jaimie frowned when the other girls told her about their meeting with Snape, and rose to her feet. "Let's go, Romola," she said. Her tone wasn't really commanding, but Rommie still followed her on instinct.

"Where are we going?" the black haired witch asked, worried she already knew the answer.

"We're going to ask Snape for your book back," Jaimie answered. Rommie's fear was confirmed, and her heart sank, but she still followed the other girl.

They made their way down to the staffroom and Jaimie knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again, but still nothing.

"We should just go," Rommie implored quietly.

"Maybe Snape's left the book in here? It's worth a try," Jaimie answered in a whisper. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside — and a horrible scene met their eyes.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying, "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"

Rommie tried to shut the door quietly, but —

"Black!" Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg.

"We just came to ask for Romola's book back."

"Get out! Out!"

Rommie left, dragging Jaimie with her, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. They sprinted back upstairs.

"Did you get it?" Nieve asked when they returned to Gryffindor tower, sitting with Hermione, "What's the matter?"

While Rommie told her friends quietly what they'd seen, Jaimie dragged Ron over so he could hear it too.

"You realise what this means?" the redhead girl said when Rommie caught her breath, "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween. That's where he was going when Ron and I saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding. Perhaps he let that troll in, to make a diversion."

Hermione's eyes were wide. "You really think he would try to steal something Dumbledore's keeping safe?" She tried to sound unconvinced, but she witnessed the professor purposely making her best friend's life hell for two months. The truth was, Hermione didn't really find it hard to believe Snape was capable of this.

"Honestly, Granger, do you think all teachers are saints or something?" snapped Ron, "I'm with you, Jaimie . I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"


	14. Broken

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The great hall was full of the delicious smell of fried foods and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good quidditch match. Rommie wasn't really a fan of quidditch, but even she was excited to watch a live match for the first time.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Rommie, Nieve and Hermione sat with Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. Not far from them, in the top row, Ron and Fay Dunbar sat with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. They had a large banner made from a bedsheet with a gold Gryffindor lion on its red background. Rommie cast a charm to make the lion occasionally open its mouth as if it's roaring, earning a rare 'thank you' from Ron.

Not long afterwards, both teams walked onto the field to loud cheers. Madam Hooch, who was refereeing, stood in the middle of the field waiting for the teams with her broom in her hand. The captains shook hands, and then the players mounted their brooms. The whistle blew and then they were off.

"And the quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor," third-year Gryffindor, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, "What an excellent chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too – "

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall sharply scolded the boy.

"Sorry, professor," he quickly apologised, resuming the actual commentary, "And she's really belting along up there. A neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve. Back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the quaffle. Slytherin captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes. Flint flying like an eagle up there, he's going to sc- No, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the quaffle. That's chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – Ouch! That must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a bludger. Quaffle taken by the Slytherins. That's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts... But he's blocked by a second bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which. Nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway. And Johnson back in possession of the quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes. She's really flying! Dodges a speeding bludger, the goal posts are ahead... Come on, now, Angelina! Keeper Bletchley dives... misses... Gryffindor scores!"

Rommie cheered with the rest of her Gryffindor and Hufflepuff friends. She had to admit this was more fun than she expected, wondering if maybe Hermione and her should have tried to convince Padma to join them rather than stay in the castle.

She saw Hagrid arriving (it would have been pretty hard to miss him), and sitting with Ron and the other Gryffindors. She waved at gamekeeper, and he smiled warmly and waved back as he and Ron talked about the match.

At a certain point Rommie gave up on trying to keep up with the chasers and quaffle, which was a challenge even with Lee's commentary, and found her gaze drifting to Jaimie who was flying higher above. Rommie wasn't sure why, but there was something so relaxing yet fascinating in watching the redhead as she glided over the game and looked around for the snitch. Once a bludger decided to come pelting her way like a cannonball, but Jaimie dodged it, and Fred Weasley came chasing after it and beat the bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.

About a minute later, Jaimie suddenly dived down with incredible speed. Since she was watching her, Rommie was one of the first to notice it, but soon everyone realised the redhead witch must have seen the snitch. Slytherin seeker Terence Higgs was some distance behind Jaimie flying in the same direction, although he might have just been guessing where the snitch was based on her.

Then the snitch flew right past Adrian Pucey's ear, and the spectators could follow its golden streak as Jaimie closed in on it – Higgs failing to keep up with her speed. All the chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch her, except for Flint who tried to purposely block her path, but Jaimie just swerved past him.

The snitch was just out of her reach, her hand stretched forward, when without any explanation Jaimie's broomstick froze abruptly in place. She was thrown off and forward – it was impossible to hold on, stopping at once after flying so fast – and the snitch was completely forgotten as the Girl Who Lived hurtled towards the ground. Rommie drew her wand and cast "arresto momentum" trying to slow Jaimie's fall, and she wasn't the only one who tried, but all the spells seemed to miss her.

 _She's about to hit the ground at this speed..._ Rommie realised in desperation, _It could kill her._

Jaimie crashed down, Madam Pomfrey already at the girl's side and treating her within a second. The young witch's cries of pain echoed throughout the quiet quidditch pitch. Grabbing a pair of binoculars from some Hufflepuff second-year whose name she didn't even know, Rommie saw with concern that Jaimie's body was a crushed and bloody mess. _But at least she's still alive..._ was the only small relief Rommie could find.

Everyone was silent, watching in shock and trying to process what just happened. The other quidditch players were just staring down at the first-year, and Madam Hooch had to drag most of them down one by one. Professor McGonagall, while hurrying down to assist Pomfrey, ordered the prefects to lead the students back to the castle. As commanding as she was, however, they were all just too stunned and worried to move.

Eventually, after almost ten minutes, Jaimie was moved to a stretcher to be taken to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall close behind. As they left, Professor Quirrell, who by this point was down on the field with them, spoke in a miserable stutter and informed the students that Jaimie should be able to recover.

Just before they were out of the quidditch pitch, Jaimie groaned loudly and weakly raised her arm a few centimetres in the air. The broken young witch opened her hand, and the golden snitch fell out – its silver wings twisted from being clutched so forcefully for so long.


	15. Recuperation

The morning after that dreadful quidditch match was thankfully a Sunday. Rommie still hasn't even begun to recover from the trauma of seeing Jaimie plummeting to her near-death, and doubted she could concentrate on classes at this state.

The Gryffindor first-year girls went down to breakfast together, feeling melancholy and worried. While they ate, with very little appetite, Rommie heard Fred and George Weasley telling Lee Jordan with concern that Ron wouldn't leave the hospital wing. As the twins left to bring their brother some breakfast, the young witch's heart was even heavier than before. Until just then, she didn't even think about how awful Ron must be feeling – even though they all knew that Jaimie's his best friend.

Feeling guilty and miserable, Rommie just stared down at the table waiting for her friends to finish with their food. _Why couldn't I stop her falling?_ the young witch kept asking herself, _Why couldn't anyone stop her?_ She just kept seeing Jaimie's crushed body, the agony on her pale face... The sound of the other girl's wails hasn't stopped echoing in her head ever since the match, and a small part of her wondered if it ever will.

Rommie was so deep in these thoughts, she didn't even realise they've left the great hall until she bumped into Madam Pince and looked around her in confusion. _Are we in library? When did we even get here?_

"Watch where you're going, Miss Black," the thin librarian hissed, "Three points off Gryffindor, and thank your luck you didn't damage a book."

Rommie nodded, barely even listening, and Hermione gently pulled her away.

"Maybe distracting you with studying wasn't the best idea..." Hermione said, sounding worried, "You know Jaimie will be fine, right?"

Rommie nodded. She did know that. At least rationally she did. But knowing it didn't seem to ease her mind.

"Where's Nieve?" she asked Hermione, suddenly noticing their friend wasn't there.

"She went to the greenhouse," Hermione told her, clearly surprised to learn that her friend only just noticed it, "Before we left the great hall. That was more than twenty minutes ago, Rommie..."

"I just keep seeing her... Seeing what happened."

"You need to talk to someone," Hermione softly suggested, "Maybe Professor McGonagall can-"

"No. What we need are answers," Rommie stopped her, determination replacing her shock, "A brand new Nimbus 2000 doesn't just stop in mid-flight like that, and all those spells couldn't have just missed Jaimie. Someone did this on purpose, and I think we both know who."

"I'm not going to pretend I don't think he could do this," Hermione admitted, "But why would he target Jaimie? She's his favourite student."

"She was. Before she defended me, before we saw him on Friday... But maybe she isn't anymore. I can't think of anyone else who could do this – I mean, magic this strong had to be done by a teacher, right? Do you know any teacher who would even consider hurting the Girl Who Lived?"

The bushy haired witch couldn't argue with that. Snape was the only one who made sense.

"So what do you want us to do about this?" she asked Rommie.

The black haired witch wasn't sure about that part, and hesitated for a moment. She didn't think anyone will believe them, especially when they start blaming Snape. _Everyone will think I'm just making it up because I want to get back at him. They might even start blaming me, considering who my parents are, if I start pointing fingers._

"I think first we need to talk to Jaimie," she finally said, "She should get to decide."

It wouldn't be until Monday afternoon that they could actually do that, however. Madam Pomfrey didn't want them crowding her patient too soon. At least now, their suspicions of Snape gave Rommie's mind something to focus on other than Jaimie's injury. Her head was clearer, and she was able to study with Hermione in the common room, although she still had nightmares that night - about Jaimie falling down from the broomstick, Snape lashing out at the two of them in the staffroom, the redhead girl agonising on the ground in the middle of the quidditch pitch... And she kept hearing a terrible sound, a mixture of Jaimie's screams of pain and a man laughing maniacally.

She woke up early, before dawn, tangled up in the bedsheets and covered in sweat. Getting out of bed, she sat by the window and looked around outside. The view was beautiful – the Forbidden Forest reminded her of home, and the castle grounds made her think of her walk there with Jaimie – these memories calmed Rommie and made her feel stronger.

Hera, Jaimie's falcon, was flying over the forest treeline, and the black haired girl watched her for a while. It was an amazing sight, the white-feathered bird looked truly majestic, and Rommie felt a little better as it reminded her of Jaimie's smile.

"How long have you been awake already?" she heard Hermione's voice behind her, and only then realised that the sun was already up. "I guess you had nightmares about Jaimie again, didn't you?" she told her friend sympathetically as Rommie turned to look at her.

Nodding, she told Hermione, "I dreamt that I heard a man's voice, too. He was laughing, but... he sounded insane, and scary."

"I assume it wasn't Snape?"

Shaking her head, Rommie answered, "I think it was my father. They say he was laughing like that, you know, the night they put him in Azkaban. I was just a baby when he murdered all of those people, obviously, but I was there. I found an old article from the Daily Prophet once, and it said the aurors had to pull me away from him when he was arrested."

Looking at her with concern, the bushy haired girl asked, "Did you ever dream about..?"

"No," Rommie answered the unfinished question, "Not like that... Like an actual memory."

At least with her father, she knew he was locked away forever. He'll never get to hurt anyone again. But her mother could be anywhere, doing anything. She could suddenly show up at any time... Just thinking about that made Rommie shiver.

"We should get ready for breakfast," she told Hermione, offering a soft smile, as Nieve and Fay were starting to wake up as well, "Don't worry. I'm fine, or at least getting there."


End file.
